The Gifted
by TheCreativeJanex
Summary: After dying then being revived, Katniss came back with a gift that she could never return. Terrified of her odd talent she shuts herself off from the world but one dead girl isn't going to side by and watch the gift go to waste. Soon the teenager realises that her life is going to be completing changed forever, whether she likes it or not.
1. The Beginning

**Summary: ****After dying then being revived, Katniss came back with a gift that she could never return. Terrified of her odd talent she shuts herself off from the world but one dead girl isn't going to side by and watch the gift go to waste. Soon the teenager realises that her life is going to be completing changed and it will end in the decision between her family and a semi-normal life or the Spirits and a chance of a happy ever after.**

**The Beginning. **

It was a gift that Katniss could never return.

At age eight, she stood by her father's side as he cried. His arms held a small body, soaking wet he screamed at the sky, begging it to put life back into the limp body. The sky granted his wish, the small body coughed up the swallowed water and it breathed once more.

Katniss was no longer at her father; she was looking up at him. She had never seen him cry before. She wiped away the tears that fell from his grey eyes and promised that she would never swim without him again. For six long minutes, Katniss was dead. She was ready to be at peace with the world at such a young age but she was sent back to her body.

Her father didn't mean to make the deal. It just happened because of love, his love for his daughter and not wanting to live in a world without her in it.

The gift wasn't shown for a few weeks until she went to school one day. Her small class had got smaller; the death of Trula Rogue didn't come as a shock to most. Trula was from a large family who were always fighting for survival lack of food and money meant that most of the family members were severely underweight.

It came to a shock for young Katniss. As she listened to Miss Pennyweather tell her class about the child's death, she was looking at Trula Rogue. Only the Trula little Katniss saw was healthy, no longer pale and skeleton thin. Her eyes were bright and her hair shiny. Her dress was all fixed and clean. In confusion, Katniss raised her hand. "Miss Pennyweather, don't be sad. Trula's over there, you lied and said she was dead." Katniss bluntly stated. Causing gasps from the other students who all stared at Katniss like she had gone crazy.

"Katniss Everdeen!" Miss Pennyweather shook with anger and grief. "Principle Marks office now."

At the beginning she didn't understand how they couldn't see Trula; she was clear as the sky is blue. But after encounter and encounter of getting in trouble, Katniss decided that she wouldn't share her seeing with the rest of the world. She was sick of the name calling and teasing. Though she ignored her gift it didn't stop the dead from pestering.

She must have looked insane when people saw her talking to ghosts; sometimes they got to her asking her to tell their loved ones about missing objects or finding their bodies. She was scared to death they would declare her unstable, maybe she was or even worse turn her into an Avox, so her hurtful tongue would be cut out.

She ignored her gift until she was eleven years old. She was fixing her bow ready for her hunting trip with her father later in the evening. As she sat by the fire, her father's voice interrupted her fixing. "Kitty." He whispered her nickname. Katniss jumped to her feet ready to pounce at her father. He held his hands out to stop her. "Listen, i haven't got much time. Katniss, something bad has happened and i don't think I'm going to see you anymore. It's your job to use your talent- hunt to get food for the family and trade some. Use your other talent too," he instructed to a teary Katniss. "Use it to help people like me get our messages back to our families." His orders were interrupted by a heartbreaking howl.

Katniss ran to the front room of tiny home to find her mother on her knees, her hands clutching to a small piece of paper. There were two men in suits at the front door with solemn looks on their faces. One leant down, helping my mother to her feet and placed her on the old rocking chair. One turned to Katniss uttering the words she never wanted to hear. "Sorry for your loss, your father was a great man."

Heart pounding, Katniss returned to the backroom. There stood her father, straight posture and his eyes full of regret. It all clicked into place, he was dressed in a pristine, black suit not like the overalls he had left in earlier that morning. No sign of coal dust on his pale skin, his hair perfectly combed back. The soul always came back as the perfect image of their body.

"I love you, Kitty" he nodded and headed for the back door.

"Daddy!" Katniss screamed and chased after him, only to find he had disappeared into thin air.

At sixteen years old, she kept her promise. She used her talent to keep the family a float. Most days she snuck off into the forest to find food for her mother and sister, she did well. They weren't greedy, anything they weren't going to eat they would trade. At first she was laughed at, the crazy girl from the Seam turned into the crazy girl from the Seam who was good at hunting.

She didn't talk much, always fearing she might start chatting someone who no longer walked the earth. She wished she could help the lost souls, she believed there was a place they went too and somehow she believed it was her job to make them go. But her priorities were to keep her family alive; the dead would have to wait.

As Katniss made her way to her usual traders, her grey eyes found a body slumped over a bar. He was fast asleep, a bottle wrapped in his fingers. She tutted, the man had money to splash away on liquor while others were starving and one deaths door step. Katniss regretted staring at the stranger instantly. Her eyes found another pair, a ghostly pair.

Katniss tried to ignore the young woman who chased her home. But after a while the constant questions such as "Why can you see me?" "Why are you ignoring me?" and "Why won't you talk to me?" got to Katniss. As soon as she was sure no one else was around, she spun around to the girl.

"What do you want?" Katniss asked, quietly. Her eyes continuously darting around to see if anyone was coming into view.

"You can see me?!" The girl gasped, Katniss guessed the girl was around the same age as her. The girl was innocent looking, with two auburn braids run down each side of her face and the biggest grey, seam eyes Katniss had ever seen. She was a pretty young thing, so pretty Katniss would envy her if she wasn't dead.

"Why don't you move on?" Katniss hissed, "Make your peace with the world and go to a happy place."

"You're new to this, right?" The girl questioned, her fingers playing with the hem of her floral print, knee length dress. A human habit that she had carried to the grave. "We can't just accept it and move on! Each ghost stuck on his dust earth has unfinished business. Help us finish it and we leave you in peace."

"And if i don't?" Katniss asked, standing her ground.

"Well i will tell every spirit this side of the plain about you and you little gift. Imagine that, millions of voices, haunting you, begging you for a favour." The ghost smirked. "I only want one thing from you, then i leave with your secret intact and give you some peace."

Katniss let out a chuckle, she couldn't believe her ears. "Listen, if i go around telling people their dead relatives have a message for them i will get sent to the nut house, or people will stop trading with me. Not trading means my family don't get medicines or other vital things for survival. They are my priority, if i don't put them first it means there will be 3 more spirits wandering this earth with unfinished business."

Katniss stalked away from the pretty ghost, tired of listening to how she should use her talents for good. She had enough problems without adding other peoples to it as well.

Katniss lay in her bed, slipping into sleep comfortably. Her dreams were different this evening, tonight she was running through the forest in the pale moonlight, she let her feet take her, Katniss had no clue where she was going. Soon she arrived at a meadow filled with wild flowers and a gentle breeze, her body stop in the centre. There was rustling from behind her, turning to face the sounds a man stood out. A man was an exaggeration, when the moonlight hit his features it was clear to see that he was no older than Katniss.

His head tipped sideward, taking her in, his eyes examining every inch of her body, so much so it felt like she was naked. The stranger smirked, his grey eyes bright and lustful. Katniss wanted to run but her body stayed still, the man/boy strode over to her, cupping her face in his large hands. Their lips collided, Katniss was revolted but her body continued to kiss the stranger.

Katniss had never been kissed before but she knew this kiss was good; she was starting to accept it, even like it. When the man/boy pulled away. His thumbs stroking over her cheeks. "I had to see you one last time." He whispered, his forehead resting against hers. Such an intimate position and one that Katniss had never experienced before and she liked, she liked the feeling of being this close to him.

"Don't say that" Katniss lips tumbled out.

"I'm in that bowl 36 times, darling" he sent her a sad smile. "I don't think my luck is going to last forever."

"There's hundreds, maybe even thousands of other name slips in that pot." Katniss robotically said. Her fingers grasping at his collar, trying to keep him there with her.

"And 36 of those belong to me" He replied. "But I'll fight. I will fight to come back to you." he promised her. "I just have to tell you this before the reaping tomorrow, I love you, Asha" he murmurs.

Katniss's brain was in outrage, the man who claimed to love her got her name wrong. But Katniss's lips whimper out the words, "I love you too" he pulls away from her and vanishes into the dark woods. Katniss found herself screaming at the dark, "Come back! Please! Come Back!"

Katniss jumped up in her bed sweat dripped off her skin, she had never been in a dream so intense. She peered up to find a black figure at the end of her bed. It should have frightened her but for once she wanted to face this spirit, she understood why it wasn't ready to move on it had had a life full of experiences like that dream. It leaned forward, its two enormous grey eyes full of sadness and longing fell onto Katniss, "My name's Asha River," her voice purred, "And I need your help, Katniss Everdeen."


	2. The Others

**The Others**

**Katniss's POV**

Asha followed me to the woods, she seemed to finally understand that i couldn't talk to her in public and she was silent on our trip to the boundary. Hopping under the face, i turn to find Asha just drift through it. It made my stomach churn and cringe, i wasn't ready to see or accept that side of the spirit world yet. I pick up my bow and arrows from the hollow log and turned to Asha, she was no stranger to the woods, from the vision she sent me i get the feeling she was a regular visitor.

"So..." i start, what do you ask a ghost? Start off with personal or general questions? "How old were you when you... you know..." i muttered awkwardly, not mentioning the 'D' word.

"Died" she replied, bluntly. "I died Katniss, don't be frightened of the word." She tells me as she walks by my side. "I was 16, just like you."

"Okay, how many years ago did you... die" the words uncomfortable in my mouth. She seemed very accepting of death but i was worried that i might trigger something in her if i bring up certain memories.

"Almost 24 years ago." She says with a shrug.

"You seem to know a lot about my 'talent'" i say hoping to find out more about it, if i knew more maybe i could use it to a better advantage. "Are there more like me?"

"No you are the only one." She hums and walks by my side. "There are just myths of people with your gift. I feel you have not accepted you're responsibly" She said, her fingers twirling her braids.

"Responsibility?" I choked on the word, "so having the ability to see the dead is my job? I never ask for this! When i was younger i got laughed at for talking to thin air, i was known as the Crazy girl... do you know how hard it is to shake off a reputation like that? i have to keep in good with those traders to keep my family alive." I put more distance between myself and the departed young woman. "If i could help i would. Just go into the light and find peace" I stalked away, my life revolved around Prim and my mother, I couldn't be selfish and put spirits first.

Asha let me hunt in peace, she vanished into thin air and i continued on, losing myself in the woods, my second home. Managing to hunt down 3 rabbits i was done for the day and headed back to the Seam, keeping my head low until i reach the eclectic fence, waiting for a few tender seconds to makes sure the power was off. Hopping under i continued to my home which was more like a tin shack but it was an aspect of my life i would never want to change.

I involuntary shuddered, it wasn't a cold day, the sun was shining on the dried out crops and highlighting how we were slowly but surely dying. I look up to find hundreds of pairs of eyes. Most of them grey like mine, all of them dead. I move forward and they part, none of them taking their eyes off me. I get to my porch, there she stands, Asha. A small smirk on her face, Asha did warm me about not helping her.

I stepped onto the wooden planks, now on the same level as Asha. I turned to find the mob all standing in neutral positions, eyes wide and waiting. Some of them I knew and once had traded with, each one ready to beg and question her. My eyes fell back onto Asha. Hate oozed from my glare before turning back to the mob of dead villagers, "LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed though it had no effect on them; my screaming didn't make them move an inch. "I can't help you, I won't help you" My voice wobbled and I made my way into my home, slamming the door shut knowing that this would not stop them entering.

**No-One's POV**

It was past midnight, Katniss took a peak outside, they were still there, none of them had moved from their position. Tiredness took over sending Katniss into a deep heavy sleep but Asha provided her with the dreams.

Asha was in her head again, this time it was a different scene. It was bright and dry and there was soft music on repeat, there were hundreds of people about all being herded to the town centre outside of the justice building. It was reaping day. Katniss recognised a few faces, of course they looked younger here and she even recognised a few of them to be the ghosts who where surrounding her home. Her body was peering around, looking for someone then Katniss spotted him. The Man/Boy from the woods. In this light his blond hair shone, he was taller than the others that surrounded him and something about his rugged appearance was certainly attractive. He looked around when his eyes landed on her, they were sad and longing. Katniss wanted to make the body run to him. it was only a dream: it wasn't a life or death situation here.

A young man wearing bright yellow appeared on the stage that had been built outside the justice building he was grinning from ear to ear. Literally. He clearly had had surgery done so his smile ran from one ear to another. A very 'Capitol' thing to do. Clearing his throat and getting the crowd's attention he started off with his speech, all about the hunger games and its history. And of course this year was special: a quarter quell. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Hunger Games, each district had to offer up 4 challengers.

"Ladies first" the smiley man shouted out and pranced over the pot full of names, dipping his hands in and swirling them about to bring out 2 slips of paper. His fingers pry open the first paper. "Maysilee Donner" he cried out clapping his hands furiously. Katniss watched as the small fragile looking girl stepped forward, Katniss caught a glimpse of her mother, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Maysilee stood at the announcer's side, like Katniss's mother tears streamed from her eyes. "And our other lady is Everbee Count" once again, his hands clapped as the young girl stepped forward only around 13 and joined Maysilee on the stage, none of them look hard enough to kill a fly let alone a human. The crowd stood in hushed, there looks were enough to kill.

Katniss found herself peering over to the Man/Boy, he was Cleary relieved to know that his girl was not going into the hunger games this time. His lips formed two words "I'm sorry", and he turned away watching the announcer bounce over to the other name-filled-pot.

Pulling put two pieces of paper, he made his way back to the microphone. "Our third contender is Haymitch Abernathy" the man/boy stepped forward, head held high and accepting of his new role. Katniss's body went weak, she found herself slumping to the floor.

_I kissed Haymitch Abernathy and liked it._ Her inner thoughts screamed.

But Asha's body was numb; her world was falling apart just as it was begging. For the first time, Katniss really regretted pushing her away. She felt light again but only because a peace keeper had picked her up and took her into the justice building. He placed her in a small room with blue walls; the body was perched on a brown material chair, just left waiting.

The door was thrown open to reveal Haymitch. He looked as cool as ever, leaning down to Asha's level and kissing her ever so gently. The sweetness of the kiss broke Katniss's heart, they didn't deserve this. "I love you" he whispered, his voice husky.

"I love you too" Katniss found her lips tremble out. Her finger reached out and stroked his face, taking in every detail. Haymitch's chances of winning were 47:1. The odds weren't really in his favour.

"I'm going to win this, this is not the last time we will see each other" He stated, trying to spark hope into his girls broken heart. "And when i do, i will be putting a ring on your finger. Promise me you'll say yes"

A giggle escaped her lips; he was mad, well and truly mad. But she nodded and kissed him one last time before he was dragged from out of sight.

Katniss woke up freezing. Someone had left a window open because there was a gust of wind sweeping through her bedroom. She opened her eyes to find a house. It was a big, fancy house. It was one from Victory's village, she had sleep walked across town and she knew the occupant of this house. It was the only house in victor's village to be lived in.

Katniss was angry, entering her dreams was one thing but making her sleep walk across town was stepping over the line. Katniss turned to find Asha, her eyes sad but looking right through Katniss and to the house. "I can feel him" her shaky voice spoke. She was alone; she didn't bringing any of her mob of the dead with her.

"You've been watching over him" Katniss guessed, she knew little about district 12's second victor or than the fact he was a loner and was a known alcoholic. She had always just assumed he had picked up his drinking habit after being in the Capitol but she now had a feeling that Haymitch Abernathy was deeper than that.

"I watched him drink himself silly and had no way to stop him" she corrected me. She was hurting, just like that day at the reaping she looked numb, like she couldn't bear to take in any more information. She clearly blamed herself for his alcohol dependency issues, "I just had to stand by and watch him ruin his life."

"And what exactly do you want me to do?" Katniss asked, not with an attitude but more of a sympathetic tone, confused on how she could help a 41 year alcoholic. "I can't exactly ban him from going to the market and buying liquor"

"He doesn't need liquor, he needs company" She whimpered moving forward and to the front window of the house. "The hunger games destroyed his life and left him with nothing. I know your mother struggle to move on from the death of your father, she went silent, Haymitch went drinking. Your strong Katniss, you have been in a similar situation. He is so alone. Please Katniss, he needs you"

There was a crash from inside the house, Katniss joined Asha at the window peering through the netted blinds. It was dimly light and as far at Katniss could tell it was like an earthquake had hit by the piles of rubbish that had formed. It was so full of rubbish she couldn't tell where the crash had come from or where the occupant was.

"Oops!" Asha whispered and vanished from sight.

"What?" Katniss turned in confusion to her ghostly friend but only found an empty space.

"I don't care who you are or what you want." A low male voice warned, "Make one false move and your dead."

Katniss turned to look over her right shoulder to find Haymitch Abernathy, no longer a mysterious lover but a pissed off drunk. But Katniss was not focusing on him but more on the knife that he held that was aimed at her neck. Oops indeed.


	3. The Visitor

**The Visitor**

The first thing that hit her was the stench of alcohol. She noted a stain on his blue shirt that indicated that Haymitch had been clumsy with the liquid. Despite the smell of alcohol and assumption he had been drinking, Haymitch was very straight no swaying or the knife in his had swinging about. Katniss didn't know if this was a good or bad thing, if he was uneasy on his feet she could easily take him down plus a swinging knife could do a lot of damage.

Like in the dreams Asha sent to Katniss, Haymitch still had unruly blonde hair and Seam grey eyes that mirrored Katniss's so much. He needed a shave and if his hair was brushed it would probably fall into some sort of style.

"You like sneaking around houses? Looking for things to steal?" he question, the knife in his grip still aimed for Katniss's neck.

"n-no" her voice wobbled out a reply. "I heard a crash and came to see if you were okay"

"Nice excuse sweetheart, but its 2:30 in the morning. What are you doing out? Huh? Midnight fishing?" he interrogated with a sarcastic tone, his head tipping to the side, old habit.

"I sleep walk." Katniss shrugged, knowing that Asha had moved her but she was in enough trouble without mentioning his dead girlfriend. "Tonight i ended up here" she told him the truth and he didn't believe one bit of it.

He moved closer, he towered over Katniss but she was ready to fight back, she wasn't going to back down easily. "Why would you come to victor's village? Fancy buying a place with a view?"

"Maybe it's a sign... reaping is coming up soon, maybe my name will pop out of that over grown fish bowl and maybe i will win the 74th hunger games. Maybe you'll have a new neighbour." She stated bravely, catching the older man eyes and refused to let them go. She was going to have the last word to protest her innocence. "Nothing better than getting to know your neighbours."

He chuckled, "you have no chance of winning sweetheart. If you get pick from that bowl, do yourself a favour: jump of the beginning podium and blow yourself to pieces. It is much less painful than surviving for weeks then being killed at the hands of a rival, it is less agonizing than winning." He stood back, his balance a little off and turned back to his home. "Take whatever you want, just close the close when you leave" he made his way into his home leaving his front door wide open. Katniss took in a deep breath of air as it was probably going to be the last fresh air she was going to get for a while.

She followed him in, not to rob him of any material objects but to complete Asha's wish. If she got rid of her then the rest might leave too. Haymitch flopped into a battered, old arm chair which let out a groan from his weight, although he was not a heavy looking man. Katniss followed perching on to a chair opposite, how could she convince him Asha sent him? His fingers picked up a half full bottle of brown liquid which Katniss assumed would be a type of brandy or whiskey.

He took a large gulp of it and swallowed it, he then turned his attention to his visitor. "So you're going to try and guilty me into giving you money? Okay give it your best shot, though i warn you I'm hard to break." He held the bottle out to Katniss and she warily accepted his offering.

"no. No sob stories or begging. I just want to talk" she raised the bottle to her lips and took a little sip, the brandy burned down her throat and unlike Haymitch her body tried to reject it, choking on it but she kept it down.

He took the bottle from her with a smirk, "Not a drinker. Don't worry it gets easier to swallow" he took a long swig of his drink. "So what could you and i have in common? Let me guess: Star signs?"

"No, personally i don't care when your birthday is or if you're a Libra or a Capricorn." She stated, Katniss had decide to take a different approach with him; tough. In many ways the drunken man reminded her of herself: the no bullshit attitude with a pinch of sracasim in every sentence. Both of them rejected and alone.

"Will I'm a Leo" he purred and cocked his head to the side, "let me guess again: the hunger games is coming around once more is it to ask for tips to make it in the arena? Hoping to use your feminine charms to pry away my secrets" he let out a dark chuckle, "It ain't gone work sweetheart, you're not my type."

"Well you haven't got very good advice do you? What did you tell me? _Do yourself a favour: jump of the beginning podium and blow yourself to pieces._ Wasn't it?" She challenged him, "I was sent here by a mutual friend"

"I don't have friends" He smirked and gulp back more of his drink.

"That's why I'm here" she whispered, loud enough for him to catch. To be honest, Katniss was unsure by the amount he was drinking that he would remember her even being her let alone her tell him is dead girlfriend sent her. "Asha sent me"

That well and truly wiped his smirk off his lips. His face went serious and the air went tense. "Are you for real? Are you some sick girl using names like that to make a quick penny?" he hissed.

Asha manifest to his left, her small hand rested on his shoulder. Her face unreadable but all attention on her living lover.

"You think i like seeing them? How sad they are because they are watching their relatives living on in pain?" Katniss fought back. "Asha is standing just behind you; she has been for the last 24 years! Having to stand back and watch how you constantly drink yourself in to a coma. She blames herself for the state you're in because she died!"Katniss found herself yelling at the drunken man.

"Shows how much you know: she didn't just die, she was murdered. She left me here alone. Do you know what, i blame her too!" he was furious and screaming also. "Just leave and don't come back" he ordered and Katniss left barefoot and scared, she had seen he was a rather stable drunk.

She didn't return home straight away, she wandered in her night gown to the part of the fence where she crept under and escaped into the woods. She sat, cross legged looking onto her second home. It was her biggest fear; being more pain to those she was trying to help. Katniss lost track of time but far too soon she returned to her home, slipping into her bed not bothering to wipe her feet or change her nightgown. For the first time in what felt like forever she let the tears drip from her eyes, she sobbed into her pillow guilt fillign her because her first time trying to accept her gift and it went so wrong. She felt a warm body join her and snuggle up close.

"You never cry" Prim whispered, hold her sister tight. The young girl decided it must have been bad for Katniss to cry.

"I just wish i had your soft touch, Prim." Katniss replied, she didn't need to burden her younger sibling with her problems.

Katniss awoke in a bright light, Asha sent her no dreams that night and Katniss was thankful for the rest. She didn't need to see Haymitch Abernathy's face anymore. She sat up and found Asha, tears rolling down her cheeks, shaking furiously she mumbled out the words, "He's going to do something stupid." Her heart hammered against her rib cage, she was going to kill Haymitch without a weapon and guilt over took her senses. Katniss jumped from her bed and threw on her clothes. Once she was ready, Asha led the way Katniss had to run to keep up with her.

Asha led her through the woods into a part Katniss had never explored before. But the path was strangely familiar. They got to their destination; it was Asha and Haymitch's meadow. He was lying in the centre; the wild flowers surrounding his body were every colour imaginable. He looked totally at peace lying in the sun rays, hands behind his head with his chest slowly rising and falling. Katniss was mesmerised by this Haymitch, it was like the Haymitch in the dream Asha sent to her. No hint of anger or sarcasm and something in that change of personality terrified Katniss, maybe he had committed stupid act and was ready to accept his punishment. She took a step towards him; a branch snapped under weight, she inwardly cursed herself.

It was forgotten when she heard a low chuckle from the man a few steps away. He didn't look her way, just kept his eyes closed but he addressed her, "the second visit of the day from my neighbourhood crazy. What have i done to deserve that?"Once he had finished his sentence his head rolled over peering in the direction where Katniss had been watching from. She could see the softness in his grey eyed through the floral bed he was laying in. He raised his hand to her, "Join me."


End file.
